The hosted version of Ghost has its lowest plan priced at $29 a month, so it obviously doesn’t have a free option.
Ghost is an open-source CMS, though, so there is a free self-hosted version available. Signing up for that is less straightforward than going with WordPress.org as your free blog site of choice, though.
Hosting Options for Ghost
Not all hosting companies support Ghost as a blogging platform, but here’s a list of great hosts that do:
A2 Hosting
Cloudways
Digital Ocean
HostPapa
An Example of a Ghost Theme
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A Look Inside Ghost
One cool thing that Ghost offers is an actual way of checking it out before you dive in. It’s called play-with-ghost.com
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With it, you can pick a theme, insert the admin info they provide, and actually mess around with the software for free.
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Once you’ve selected a theme, it takes you to a testing area where you can choose different options and play around with the features.
The blogging features are very clean and simple.
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Here’s a look at some of the elements you can add to your blog post:
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An example of what you can create as a blog post:
Ghost Screenshot of Free Blogging Platform Content Sample
It’s a fairly simple layout without an abundance of options. It does, however, have a feature called “markdown,” which converts content into HTML code.
Like this:
Example of a Blog Post in Ghost Blogging Platform
To this:
Screenshot of Ghost Content Editor as a Blogging Platform
Pros of Ghost as a Free Blogging Site
Simple and Easy to Use
For those who want a clean space to sit and write—Ghost offers b2b email lists poland that.
It’s easy to navigate and isn’t weighed down by a lot of extras. Its minimalistic setup makes it easy for bloggers to sit down and write.
There’s Room to Grow
Ghost is a newer establishment, so it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next few years. They may change the blogging sphere in interesting ways—like using JavaScript instead of PHP to run their blogging site.
Cons of Ghost as a Free Blogging Site
Not the Most Customizable Option
It’s pro is also somewhat its con, as founder John O’Nolan has noted. In their effort to create simplicity, they have missed another group of people who want more flexibility and customization.
Hosting and Domain Name Fees
As with WordPress.org, Ghost offers no completely free blogging site option because you’ll still be responsible for your monthly hosting plan and getting a domain name.
Harder to Find Hosting Plans
Because Ghost chose to use JavaScript (node.js) to power their free blogging platform, it’s more difficult to find a hosting company that supports it from a technical standpoint—aside from their own hosting plans, of course.